Axe
by Lovelaced
Summary: Eret finds out that Hiccup and Astrid are engaged. Requested by anon. Post-HTTYD2.
1. Chapter 1

Astrid was throwing her axe on a lone tree in the Chief's garden when Eret walked past her.

He had been meaning to seek her out, thank her and Hiccup for all they had done for him.

Eret then decided now might be as good as any time.

He approached her carefully, having heard and witnessed just how fierce and intimidating she was with an axe. The last thing he wanted was to have a body part chopped off.

Astrid was in the midst of swinging her axe midair when Eret suddenly snatched it out of her grasp.

She gaped at him, looking furious.

"Give me my axe back!" she shouted.

Eret laughed at her outburst.

"I'm not sure if I should trust you with an axe. It sounds a little dangerous."

Astrid folded her arms across herself, looking unamused. "What do you want, Eret?"

He didn't answer right away and instead began studying her weapon

"This is quite a nice axe you got there. Very well crafted if I say so myself."

Astrid smiled. "Hiccup made it for me for our anniversary."

Eret quirked an eyebrow at this, appearing mildly surprised by this revelation.

"So it's true then that you and the Chief are.." he let out a suggestive whistle.

"Not that it is any of your business but Hiccup is my fiancé, yes."

Eret didn't seem entirely convinced for some reason. "Hmm."

"What is 'hmm' supposed to mean?" she retorted, clearly offended by whatever he was implying.

Eret shook his head. "Nothing."

He then threw the axe back to her and ventured on towards the Great Hall.

What Astrid did not know was that Eret had decided that he should thank her and Hiccup by giving them an engagement present.

First he needed to find Ruffnut and he definitely wasn't looking forward to that.

* * *

Eret ships Hiccstrid!

Requested by a friend of mine.


	2. Chapter 2

Eret was up to no good, Astrid could feel it.

He had been giving her these coy glances for the past week, and she was starting to feel uneasy around him.

Eret was a nice guy but Astrid still didn't trust him.

Astrid was never really the one to give into people so easily.

She needed time to get to know them first before she would ever think of letting her guard down and getting chummy with them.

While weary of the sailor, Astrid also knew he wasn't like Snotlout who always had ulterior motives in mind.

Eret had never made her uncomfortable in that way, and she was grateful for it.

But he was still planning something and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

She wondered if she should tell Hiccup of her suspicious but then decided against it.

He would only tell her to give Eret a chance since he always saw the good in people no matter what.

It was something she always admired about Hiccup.

Astrid watched Eret sneak out of Gobber's smithy, and grabbed her axe to follow him into the woods.


	3. Chapter 3

Astrid didn't give Eret a real opportunity to react, instead she hurled her axe in his direction, hitting the tree next to him.

Eret stood still, gaping at her in shock.

"Did you seriously just throw your axe at me?"

"Relax. I was targeting that tree, not you."

Eret didn't relax, still taken aback.

Astrid shrugged, walking over to him casually. "So what are you up to?"

Eret shifted on his feet, looking away. "What makes you think I'm up to something?"

"I don't know, the sneaking around maybe? Your general evasiveness?"

Eret sighed. "I wasn't sneaking around! I thought I had earned your trust by now, or are generally this suspicious of everyone?"

Astrid grabbed her axe, pulling it out from the tree bark. "I'm a warrior, Eret. It's my job to protect my tribe and my Chief."

"By Chief, you mean.. the guy you sleep with?" he grinned.

Astrid turned red instantly, pointing her axe at him. "Do you want to be the next target?!"

"I would prefer not to," Eret laughed. "What's the big deal, anyway? It's good that you keep our Chief so satisfied."

Astrid looked unamused. "You are worse than Snotlout."

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Eret laughed. "I'm just sayin'.. A happy Chief means a happy tribe."

"Ugh, stop it already!"

"Nope."

"You are just trying to distract me right now so I will not find out what you are really up to."

That wiped the smile off his face.

"Thought so," Astrid remarked with smug smirk.

Eret's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Fine. I will tell you," he sighed.


	4. Chapter 4

"It's supposed to be a gift for you and Hiccup," he sighed. "But I'm betting you are not the one for surprises?"

"Not entirely true. The biggest events in my life happened to be surprises," she said so with a cheeky smirk, twirling the axe in her hand.

Eret chuckled, stepping closer. "Yet you are so guarded because..?"

"Not all surprises are good surprises and I'm not willing to risk the people I love for anything."

" _The people you love_ ," Eret echoed with a grin. "You really love him, don't you?" It wasn't a question but rather a statement.

"How long?"

Astrid blushed.

"Longer than I would ever admit out loud," she confessed. "I- err.. I.. kinda used to have a crush on him when we were toddlers."

Eret quirked an eyebrow and then crackled.

"I sort of find that hard to believe! I mean I would figure it would be the other way around."

Astrid smiled. "Oh things definitely switched around." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "It took both of us a while to get where we are now."

"Hmm." Eret nodded. "And now you are as thick as thieves?"

Astrid shrugged.

"All I know is that I can't imagine a world without Hiccup in it," she whispered out loud. "He is very important to me."

"The feeling is mutual, Milady."

Astrid's eyes bugged and she turned around to face her Chief.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hiccup?" Astrid gasped and then broke into a smile.

She was always overjoyed to see Hiccup.

Hiccup returned her smile and stepped closer to wrap his arms around her, pulling her flush against him.

"What are you doing here?" she chuckled.

Hiccup shrugged.

"Oh I was just in the neighborhood when I overheard my name," he said with a cocky smile.

"Sure you were."

Astrid lightly swatted him on the arm but the smile remained on her face.

"Besides do I really need an excuse to seek out milady?"

Astrid giggled and shook her head.

Hiccup leaned down to kiss her.

They were so lost in their own world they had almost forgotten about the third party in the room.. or rather in the forest.

Eret cleared his throat awkwardly.


End file.
